Shotgun shell with weighted wad

Abstract

A shotgun cartridge having a weighted wad for controlling the separation point between the wad and the shot load. The wad having a tail portion and a nose portion with the nose portion shifting the center of gravity of the wad axially forward away from the center of pressure compared to where the center of gravity would be if the nose portion was not weighted thereby controlling the shot load separation and enhancing the shot pattern.

1 . A shotgun cartridge for dispensing a shot load at a predetermined distance from a muzzle of a firearm, comprising:
 a shotgun cartridge casing having an forward end and a rearward closed by a case head,;   a primer installed in the case head;   a propellant charge in the case head; and   a wad forward of the propellent charge, the wad comprising a nose portion and a tail portion, the nose portion comprising a forward facing cup portion for receiving a shot load, wherein the nose portion comprised of a first material, the tail portion facing the propellant charge, the tail portion comprising a second material different from the first material;   wherein the tail portion is fixed to the nose portion and wherein the first material is denser than the second material.   
     
     
         2 . The shotgun cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the nose portion is unitary with the tail portion by one of coinjection molding and overmolding. 
     
     
         3 . The shotgun cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the first material comprises a first polymer and an additional material for weighting, and wherein the second material also comprises the first material. 
     
     
         4 . The shotgun cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein first material has a density between about 0.90 g/cm 3  and about 1.00 g/cm 3  and the second material is at least 5 percent denser than the first material. 
     
     
         5 . The shotgun cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the nose portion comprises metal. 
     
     
         6 . The shotgun cartridge of  claim 5  wherein the metal is configured as a band at a forward portion of the nose portion. 
     
     
         7 . The shotgun cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the wad has a length and a center of gravity positioned along the length, and wherein the center of gravity is positioned at least 10% of the length forward of a location of where a center of gravity would be if the first material and second material were of the same density. 
     
     
         8 . The shotgun cartridge of  claim 6 , wherein the nose portion and tail portion are molded as a single unitary body, wherein the weighting ring is affixed to the nose portion of the single unitary body. 
     
     
         9 . A method for assembling a shotgun cartridge, comprising:
 forming a nose portion of a wad comprising an elongated wall defining a forward facing cup portion, wherein the nose portion comprises a first material;   forming a tail portion of the wad, the tail portion positionable against a propellant charge and defining a rearward facing cup portion, wherein the tail portion comprises a second material different from the first material, the first material denser than the second material;   affixing the nose portion and tail portion together to form the wad;   loading a quantity of propellant into a cartridge casing, wherein the cartridge casing comprises an elongated tubular body having an open mouth and a closed end enclosed by a case head;   inserting the assembled wad into the cartridge casing such that the rearward facing cup portion abuts the propellant charge;   loading a shot load into the forward facing cup portion through the open mouth; and   crimping the open mouth closed to seal the cartridge casing.   
     
     
         10 . The method of forming the wad of  claim 9 , wherein the first material comprises a density between about 0.90 g/cm 3  and about 1.00 g/cm 3  and the second material is at least 5% denser than the first material. 
     
     
         11 . A shotgun wad for dispensing a shot load at a predetermined distance from a muzzle of a firearm, comprising:
 a nose portion comprising a forward facing cup portion for receiving the shot load, wherein the nose portion comprises a first material;   a tail portion positioned against a propellant charge and defining a rearward facing cup portion for obturating and capturing propellant gases generated from the ignited propellant charge, wherein the tail portion comprises a second material different from the first material;   wherein the tail portion is fixed to the nose portion and wherein the first material is denser than the second material.   
     
     
         12 . The shotgun wad of  claim 11  wherein the nose portion is unitary with the tail portion by one of coinjection molding and overmolding. 
     
     
         13 . The shotgun wad of  claim 11  wherein the first material comprises a first polymer and an additional material for weighting, and wherein the second material also comprises the first material. 
     
     
         14 . The shotgun wad of  claim 11  wherein the nose portion comprises metal. 
     
     
         15 . The shotgun wad of  claim 14  wherein the metal is configured as a band at a forward portion of the nose portion. 
     
     
         16 . The shotgun wad of  claim 11  wherein the wad has a length and a center of gravity positioned along the length, and wherein the center of gravity is positioned at least 10% of the length forward of a location of where a center of gravity would be if the first material and second material were of the same density. 
     
     
         17 . The shotgun wad of  claim 15 , wherein the nose portion and tail portion are molded as a single unitary body, wherein the weighting ring is affixed to the nose portion of the single unitary body. 
     
     
         18 . A method of forming a wad for a shotgun cartridge, the wad having a nose portion and a tail portion, the method comprising:
 injection molding one of the tail portion and the nose portion with a first polymer formulation,   injection molding the other of the tail portion and the nose portion to the one of the nose portion and tail portion with a second polymer formulation by way of one of coinjection molding and overmolding, and   selecting the polymer formulation that the nose portion is molded from to be denser than the polymer formulation of the tail portion.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the polymer formulation of the nose portion is at least 5% denser than the polymer formulation of the tail portion. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the polymer formulation of the nose portion and the polymer formulation of the tail portion both comprise polyethylene and the polymer formulation of the nose portion comprises an additional material.